To everyone just now finding out Isaac Asimov was rather famously a sex pest: He's been gone 34 years now, you can handle this truth, I believe in you
Feb 5, 2026 22:54Half a century ago, as president of a small university S-F society, I learned that it was a good idea not to be on my own with guest speakers. It wasn't even Asimov; we were in England and he was out of our league. He wasn't alone in enjoying the access his undoubted talents gave him to young women.
Always thought his books were crap anyway.
I'm not saying you are, but doesn't "sex pest" as a term, trivialise what he was doing?
I'll add here that I'm from the UK and that there may be a translation issue with the term "pest". Whilst it is still not good term in the UK either, it's on a lower level than "abuser" which would be the norm here, for someone that has done what Asimov is reported to have done.